Bologna vs Parma Prediction 5 December 2025

📢 What can we expect from the clash between Bologna and Parma in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia at the Renato Dall'Ara? Despite the fact that the teams are facing very different challenges in the league—Bologna are fighting for a Champions League spot, while Parma are battling for survival—in a cup match, this all becomes irrelevant. Here, a single moment can turn the game on its head, and any mistake could mean an exit from the tournament.

Head-to-Head

📊 The head-to-head history between Bologna and Parma features 9 encounters over the past decade. The "Rossoblù" hold the advantage with 4 wins, 4 draws, and just one victory for the "Crusaders." Their most recent clash took place on November 2nd, during Serie A's 10th round. Bologna secured a commanding 3-1 away win, with the turning point being a red card for a Parma player in the 35th minute when the score was tied at 1-1. From there, the visitors easily saw out the match to claim victory.

Bologna Team Overview

🔴 Bologna approach the upcoming clash in less than ideal spirits. On Monday, the Rossoblù suffered a surprising 3-1 defeat at home to Cremonese, a newly promoted Serie A side. This loss was a significant setback: the team had been on a 12-match unbeaten run, while their opponents were struggling after three consecutive losses. Despite the home advantage, Bologna failed to secure the three points. Particularly painful was the fact that they outplayed Cremonese: 29 shots to 10, with an xG of 2.97 compared to 1.62. However, poor finishing and a vulnerable defense against counterattacks led to their downfall.

🔵 As for the Coppa Italia, Bologna skipped the previous round thanks to their title from last season's tournament. Without that trophy, they would have started their campaign from the round of 32 due to their lower league position last season, finishing ninth in Serie A.

Parma Team Overview

🟡 Like Bologna, Parma failed to secure any points in their latest Serie A fixture. On November 29, they suffered a home defeat to Udinese (0-2), leaving them perilously close to the relegation zone, dropping to 17th place. The result accurately reflected the match. While the "Crusaders" held their own in terms of possession (51% to 49%), the visitors were noticeably sharper in creating chances.

🔵 In the Coppa Italia, Parma barely scraped through the previous round. Their encounter with Spezia, who are languishing in the Serie B relegation zone, turned out to be far more challenging than anticipated. Regular time ended 2-2, and it was decided by a penalty shootout. The "Crusaders" were slightly more precise, converting four out of five attempts while conceding three goals, advancing to the Round of 16.

Latest news

Bologna

📣 Bologna head coach Vincenzo Italiano, following their 3-1 home defeat to Cremonese, admitted that his team had an off day, despite creating plenty of chances: "If you want to stay at the top, you need to perform at your best in matches like these... Today just wasn't our day. We lost, but we didn't play poorly—the first two goals we conceded were completely avoidable. We need to be able to put defeats behind us just as we do with victories."

🚫 Bologna will be without at least three players for the upcoming clash. First-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski is recovering from a thigh injury and is expected to return by the end of December. Martin Vitik is sidelined until mid-December due to a muscle injury. Remo Freuler is still undergoing treatment for a shoulder injury and will be unavailable until early January.

Parma

📣 Parma's head coach Carlos Cuesta, following the 2-0 defeat to Udinese, remarked that the match was disrupted by a red card and a penalty, but the team fought until the end: "In the first twenty minutes, we didn't play the way we wanted... This is the third time we've been down to ten men and the third time we've conceded a penalty — this needs urgent attention. The sending-off and penalty completely changed the course of the game. We tried to rectify the situation, but it didn't work out. The opponent's victory was deserved, now we shift our focus to the match against Bologna."

🚫 Parma's injury list remains largely unchanged. Matija Frigan is still unavailable and won't return until at least early March 2026 due to an ACL tear. First-choice goalkeeper Zion Suzuki will be sidelined until mid-February with a broken wrist. Abdoulaye N'Diaye is out until mid-December due to a muscle injury. Alessandro Circati's participation is also in doubt as he continues his recovery from an ankle dislocation.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Parma remain one of Serie A's least prolific teams, although they've shown slight improvement in recent rounds. Over 13 matches, the "Crusaders" have netted just 9 goals—only Verona, who sit at the bottom with 6 points, have a worse tally with 8 goals. Parma especially struggle on the road, scoring only three times in six away fixtures, the worst record in the league. Given these circumstances, opting for both teams to score (no) seems logical.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Parma not only rank among the lowest in Serie A for goals scored but also for corners won. The club averages just 3.2 corners per match, placing them last in the league. The upcoming fixture is likely to mirror their last head-to-head encounter, where Bologna dominated the game and the "Crusaders" managed just one corner. Therefore, betting on Parma under 3.5 corners appears to be the most logical and reliable option.